Old Mercenaries, New War
by KingdomOfThomond
Summary: It is twelve years after Demoman visited Support in Alamogordo, in the last chapter of The Support. Sniper found something around Benson Ridge, and left for Australia immediately afterwards. Support and his family leave the city, living with Demoman for two weeks, while Aine, Support's daughter, keeps a log of events. One night, Spy turns up at Demoman's house almost dead...
1. Calm Before the Storm

**A/N** If you haven't already, read The Support, because this is the sequel. Enjoy.

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_31__st __July 1987_

I think that it started about twelve years ago. Dad was talking to Uncle Demo, who had paid an unexpected visit, and, that night, dad came up to my room when I was in bed to say that something bad had happened around Benson Ridge. At the time, I didn't take much notice, as Benson Ridge was, to me, a million miles away. He didn't know much about what had happened, as Uncle Demo didn't know that much either, but it included a company, Aperture Science, or something like that. After that, life started going down hill, slowly at first, and then, over the last few weeks, very fast indeed.

A year after Uncle Demo visited, mum had a baby boy, whom they called Bartley. He's only recently realised how bad things are. It took him almost eleven years to do so, but he's always been a bit on the slow side.

At the beginning of the month, Uncle Demo paid us another visit. I think it was the first time that Bartley had met him in person, rather than listening to the descriptions of mum, dad, and myself. Uncle Demo wanted to talk to dad, but was happy for me to be around. I mean, I am seventeen. Uncle Demo said that Uncle Sniper had found _something bad_ around the Aperture Science owned Benson Ridge weapons facility when hunting in the area, but didn't specify exactly what, and then had promptly left for Australia.

Uncle Spy got involved, and, although he didn't know what Uncle Sniper had found, he did find that Aperture Science were doing some sort of weapon development, but was found by the plant workers before he could identify exactly _what_ weapon was being developed. All Uncle Spy learnt was that it was a biological weapon. Uncles Heavy, Medic, and Scout were in Canada, and Uncle Demo couldn't get hold of them. I hope they're okay, and haven't run into any trouble.

About a fortnight ago, Uncle Demo turned up at about nine o'clock in the evening, and said that we should pack our bags and go to his house. Dad asked why, and Uncle Demo replied that his house was safer than ours. We went.

I'd never been to Uncle Demo's house before. It was between the White Sands National Monument and the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge. Uncle Demo was driving very fast, urgently even, and refused to answer any of our questions. The journey that should have taken an hour and ten minutes took thirty-five minutes.

When we arrived, we all were tired and falling asleep, but dad asked Uncle Demo why he'd taken us to his house. Uncle Demo said six words: The weapon has accidentally been released.

Inside Uncle Demo's prefabricated house, a few lights were on, as a few other people were present: Uncles Soldier, Spy, and Engineer, along with Pyro. Dad and his former co-workers are old, with wrinkles and grey hair. If they needed to fight, I doubted that they'd last for a few hours. We all ended up sleeping in the living room that night, some on the floor, some on the pull-out bed, another on a couch.

We've stayed at Uncle Demo's for two weeks now. Mum, myself, and Bartley stayed out of the way of dad and the rest of the former RED mercenaries. Dad and Uncle Demo seem to be obsessed with wearing kilts, because they've worn them every single day. Dad and the most of the other former mercenaries went out hunting every day, to supplement Uncle Demo's dwindling stockpile of food, as Uncle Spy was doing what his name suggested in Alamogordo. We all knew that, eventually, we'd have to go back there.

However, tonight, the night before we were due to go back to Alamogordo, Uncle Spy arrived at Uncle Demo's house, close to death, and covered in blood. Uncle Engineer, with his Frontier Justice least Uncle Spy be an enemy, was the first person to get to him, and the only one to hear what Uncle Spy had to say before the latter died. Uncle Spy had discovered that the biological weapon he'd uncovered four weeks ago had zombiefied people within about thirty miles of Benson Ridge. Zombies had taken over almost all of Alamogordo, with only a couple of undermanned and underpowered groups of survivors. Uncle Engineer told us what Uncle Spy had found out.

I think it was Uncle Demo who asked what we should do next. Uncle Engineer pumped his Frontier Justice before he spoke.

"We go later tonight, and enter Alamogordo at dawn."

Uncle Soldier grinned eagerly, and started waving his shovel around. Uncle Demo seemed slightly less eager that Uncle Soldier, but eager nonetheless. Dad seemed quite happy to fight, as did Bartley. I just wanted to be part of the action, although I didn't really want to fight. Mum, however, didn't want to go, so Uncle Demo suggested that she stayed at his house until our "little expedition" (as Uncle Soldier put it) returned.

Uncle Spy was buried near the forest, with a stone the size of the Frenchman's head wearing his balaclava as a rough tombstone.

We took enough food for a day, and left mum the rest, putting our food in a couple of backpacks that Uncle Demo had stashed away in his wardrobe. Uncle Engineer gave Bartley and myself a custom-made pistol each, although I don't think either of us know how to use them. The surviving mercenaries had an assortment of what dad called "unlockable" weapons, and some others which dad said came from "item sets". We set off around half past one in the morning, doubling up on the four bicycles that Uncle Demo had in his shed, but rarely ever used.

It's almost dawn now, and we're just outside Alamogordo. Uncle Soldier is watching the city, siting on a rock with his rocket launcher, while Uncle Demo, strangely going into battle with a sword, shield, and black boots, is getting ready to charge. The rest of us are getting ready. We'll be entering Alamogordo soon, and facing its undead hordes.

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**A/N** So there's chapter one. More chapters should be coming soon. Please rate and review.


	2. Alamogordo - Part One

The light gradually increased, revealing the colours of the landscape. Orange covered the horizon, and some of the buildings in Alamogordo. The city looked beautiful and serene, and none of us could remember it looking more so, but its appearances were deceiving. Uncle Pyro pulled a camera out of nowhere and started taking pictures. I would have done, but I didn't have my camera. Uncle Demo decided that it was time to attack the zombies, and we set off.

Walking down E10th Street, bodies lay festering on the ground. Flies buzzed around them, and I almost threw up. But there were no sign of zombies, nor of any survivors, and there was the strange feeling of being followed. An air raid siren wailed in the distance, giving Alamogordo an eerie feeling. Dad and most of the other mercenaries were unaffected by it, but Uncle Pyro and myself got irritated. Well, I got irritated. Uncle Pyro _seemed_ to be irritated by the siren. We continued down E10th Street.

I wasn't really paying much attention to anything, lost in my thoughts about how nice the day would turn out, judging by the lack of clouds in the sky. However, I was awoken from my daydreaming by Uncle Demo, who shouted "INCOMING!"

Uncle Engineer was quick off the mark, stating that he was laying down a sentry. But it wasn't one of those big ones with rockets that I vaguely remembered when dad and the others were in Coal Town. No, this sentry was midget sized, with a flashing red light on top and white checkers on the side.

Dad pulled his rifle up, and aimed, while Uncle Soldier fired rockets at the zombies, and Uncle Demo set up a trap for the zombies. Uncle Pyro pulled me and Bartley a short distance down College Avenue, obviously trying to keep us safe, and also to set up an ambush. From where we were, I could see dad and the others fire at the zombies, and it was loud.

Soon, the small horde was dead. The presence following us revealed itself to be a crazed gunman with a rifle. He shouted to us that we'd done well, but to remember one thing: _aim for the head_. We continued once again down E10th Street. By this point, I started wondering why we were there. Sure, I could guess that dad and the other mercenaries, despite a dislike for Uncle Spy and his profession, wanted revenge for his death. But we weren't just there for that.

We stopped at around nine for something to eat, sheltering in Heights School. While we were eating, Uncle Pyro walked around the school. None of us knew why, and we didn't want to ask, as we'd just get indecipherable mumbling in reply. After about five, maybe ten minutes, the pyromanic returned, and mumbled something.

Uncle Engineer, who had the best idea of what Uncle Pyro said, asked what it was going on about. Uncle Pyro mumbled something again, and Uncle Engineer said that the pyromaniac had found a group of survivors in one of the classrooms near the other end of the school.

Uncle Soldier and Uncle Demo voted to pay the survivors a little visit, and Uncle Pyro showed us where the survivors were.

Personally, I expected a larger group of survivors than the one we found. In fact, it wasn't a group. It was a couple. Still, it coincided with what Uncle Spy said about survivors before he died. Thinking about Uncle Spy, I didn't know about how he got to Uncle Demo's home as badly injured as he was. Maybe he was just so desperate to tell us about the zombies.

The survivors didn't talk much, nor did they want to be with us. I think that they were perfectly happy sitting in an empty school classrooms during zombie apocalypses. Some people enjoy doing weird things, though. We left the school.

At that point in time, I'd made an educated guess as to where we would be going. Aperture Science's Benson Ridge Weapons Facility.

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**A/N** Reviews would be appreciated, and no, that crazed gunman _wasn't_ Father Grigori from Half Life 2. Even if they seem similar.


	3. Benson Ridge Weapons Facility

Upon leaving Alamogordo, we headed through the forest surrounding the Benson Ridge Weapons Facility. For safety reasons, Uncle Pyro wasn't allowed to set the trees on fire, leaving Uncle Demo and Uncle Soldier to hack at the worst bits with their swords – the former's whispering "heads", and the latter's being honour-bound, which may have not been the best choice for a mêlée weapon.

We progressed at a slower pace through the forest. At about one o'clock, we stopped to allow Uncle Demo and Uncle Soldier to have a rest, and as a lunchbreak. After about half an hour, maybe forty minutes, we stared moving again.

As I was walking next to him, I asked dad a question.

"I don't know why Uncle Sniper was hunting around here, dad. I mean, the undergrowth is quite thick in some places. Do you know why?"

"Not really, Aine. He was doing strange things before your mother and I were married."

"Such as?"

"He collected his own urine for 'future use'. But things got worse about a fortnight before I married your mother."

I was about to ask why, but Uncle Demo interrupted.

"Turlough! Do you have yer Uilleann Pipes? We could do with some music."

Dad scavenged around around in his backpack, and pulled them out from the bottom. He started plating Whiskey in the Jar, despite the fact that the noise would attract any zombies within earshot. Uncle Soldier and Uncle Demo started hacking with their swords in rhythm, and Uncle Pyro started whistling.

At around three o'clock, we entered a clearing, with the rather large Aperture Science Benson Ridge Weapons Facility the centre. The place looked like a ruin. Upon Uncle Engineer finding a half collapsed doorway, we entered.

What once was white and clean was dark and dirty, with blood covering most surfaces. Similar to when we arrived Alamogordo, I was almost sick. Uncle Pyro sterilised the place with fire, dad following the arsonist with his ammo bag. Uncle Engineer set up a sentry, a dispenser and a teleporter exit, and upgraded them, with the hope that this might serve as a fall-back position. The red beams of the dispenser engulfed all of us, healing and replenishing ammunition and metal.

After about five minutes, we continued deeper into the weapons facility. Going down the corridor, there were rooms on either side, with abandoned weapons on workbenches, some covered in blood.

Going down into what would have been a subterranean level, we passed what would have once been something like a vault door. It had been battered to pieces from the inside.

Here, a horrible stench of rotting flesh started confronting our noses, and there was more blood around. But still, the rooms at the sides of the corridor had workbenches and abandoned weapons, and no sign of where the biological weapon had been created.

On the floor below that, the blood and the smell grew worse. Along with the other two floors, the rooms on either side of the corridor had workbenches and weapons in them. But something on that floor set it out from the other two. On the wall, someone had scrawled "OUR OWN RAVENHOLM".

I asked dad about this, and he said that a town near Black Mesa East called Ravenholm that had been taken over by zombies. The only living resident was the priest, Father Grigori, who, I am assured, was quite, quite mad.

About five floors below ground level, we came upon science laboratories. We began searching these, but the stench was so unbearable that it was becoming hard to focus. In one of the rooms, which Uncle Soldier had to kick the locked door down, were the remains of several guards. They must have been there about a week. We raided their gas masks, and, after Uncle Pyro sterilised them, we donned them. Bartley and I took some of their automatic rifles.

Eventually, Uncle Engineer found a barely functioning computer, with the daily log of a scientist working on what they described as being "the greatest weapon imaginable".

All of us must have been stupid, as we should have seen what was coming next, but none of us did. It came a complete surprise to Bartley when a zombie started assaulting him.

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**A/N** Take a wild guess as to what happens next. Please rate and review.


	4. Alamogordo - Part Two

Of course, Bartley started shouting about this, quickly gaining our attention. We shot at the zombie in question, but this only attracted more. Bartley, being intelligent for once in his life, shut, locked, and barricaded the door, giving us a glimpse of a nasty bite on his neck. Uncle Engineer started erecting his teleporter entrance, allowing us to quick access to his dispenser and medical treatment for Bartley. But the bite on his neck turned Bartley into one of them before the teleporter had even finished construction.

Uncle Soldier promptly decapitated him, allowing him to sheath his sword and take out his rocket launcher. Dad was stunned by the entire experience, as were the rest of us, mainly by the loss of Bartley and the speed at which a person was zombified. We were shaken from this by loud bangs on the door, and we started going through the teleporter. Uncle Demo stated that he was going to destroy the weapons facility, proposing that he would find the biggest store of explosives he could and detonate stickies around it. Uncle Soldier volunteered to go with him.

Looking back, I do think they did best thing possible in that extreme and deadly environment. To them, doing nothing was impossible. The two men left to go on their suicide mission, while the rest of us evacuated from the building. I had one last glimpse of them, going down the corridor. Uncle Soldier and Uncle Demo were professionals, clearly aware of the danger of in that situation, courageous to the point of going on self-sacrificing missions.

Uncle Pyro, Uncle Engineer, dad, and I went back to Alamogordo, following the path that we made on the way up. Uncle Engineer had left his dispenser, sentry, and teleporter in the weapons facility, so that Uncle Demo and Uncle Soldier were able to use them, should the need arise. We all doubted that they would.

Time had passed rapidly while we were in the weapons facility – we had spent about two and a half hours in there. Reaching Alamogordo in significantly less time than it took us to reach Benson Ridge, we strolled down E10th Street. Uncle Pyro's head was hanging low, while dad and Uncle Engineer looked depressed. We heard an enormous explosion behind us, and, turning around, saw a massive pillar of fire and smoke, similar to the mushroom clouds attributed to nuclear explosions, rising up from the now-destroyed Benson Ridge Weapons Facility.

At this point, we decided that Uncle Soldier and Uncle Demo were dead. Near Heights School, we stumbled upon a large horde of zombies. We were unprepared for this, and our reactions were delayed for a few moments. But our depression was removed by one man's shout in a moment of triumph.

"Get behind me doktor!"

Uncle Heavy, Uncle Medic, and Uncle Scout had approached us from behind, coming out of one of the many roads that led on to E10th Street. Uncle Heavy, spinning a beast in the world of miniguns, the significant proportion of which looked like brass. Dad took the opportunity to take out his Uilleann Pipes, and started playing the finale to Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture.

Uncle Heavy's minigun barrel spat out fire, and went on a mow-down, with the beam from Uncle Medic's medigun focused on the Russian. When Uncle Heavy ran out of bullets, he charged towards the zombies with his shotgun, and Uncle Pyro and Uncle Engineer mimicked him. Dad and I followed them at a walking pace.

The zombies were obliterated. We decided that we should stay in Heights School until the morning, and then we would proceed to Uncle Demo's house. We stayed in the relatively untouched staff room. While Uncle Engineer erected his sentry and dispenser, and upgraded the later, Uncle Scout explained that, while in Canada, they heard that part of New Mexico had been affected by zombies, and came as quickly as they could to see what they could do to help. Dad then told them what had happened to us, starting with going to Uncle Demo's house, and ending with the point where we joined up with Uncle Heavy, Uncle Medic, and Uncle Scout.

While Uncle Scout, Uncle Engineer, and dad were talking about politics and the economy, Uncle Heavy was looking out of the window, and something made him jump.

Uncle Soldier and Uncle Demo had survived their suicide mission.

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**A/N** Only a chapter or two left. Please rate and review.


	5. Demo's House

Dad, Uncle Pyro, Uncle Engineer, and I jumped when we saw Uncle Soldier and Uncle Demo, as we never expected them to survive. When they entered the staff room, Uncle Demo pulled up the front of his kilt, and shouted "Kaboom!", giving everyone else present a view of his two best friends.

Uncle Soldier and Uncle Demo related to us how they survived their supposed suicide mission. Going further into the weapons facility then the rest of us, they gibbed any zombies they encountered. Upon reaching the heart of the facility, they found a storeroom of explosives. Uncle Demo filled it with stickies, and both men exited the building. When they got out, Uncle Demo detonated his stickies, promptly realising that he was too close. Aside from some slight scorching that Uncle Engineer's dispenser took care of, both men escaped unharmed. They guessed that we would head back to his house, and so attempted to meet up with us there.

It was, as everyone else in the room will agree, extremely fortunate that Uncle Soldier and Uncle Demo passed the staff room of Heights School.

We talked until quite late that night, only stopping when Uncle Engineer stated that we should be getting some sleep. He was right, considering the day that we'd had.

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_1st August 1987_

I awoke to dad shaking me. He usually woke up quite late after he left RED, but this morning, he was up at seven. The other mercenaries were beginning to stir, and we began our journey back to Uncle Demo's home.

We walked for hours, not reaching the prefab before one in the morning, mainly due to a rather large Russian. Mum was in presumably in bed, and that's where most of us wanted to go. However, Uncle Medic heard something outside of our rather tired and noisy footsteps. Uncle Soldier and Uncle Engineer, both of whom had torches, flashed them around. What we saw made us all stiffen, and Uncle Soldier and Uncle Engineer turned their torches off.

Zombies had found Uncle Demo's home. And mum was one of them.

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Our tiredness was gone, and replaced with the desire to get to safety. We slowly and quietly moved away from Uncle Demo's house. About an hour later, we stopped somewhere in the White Sands National Monument, and slept there for the night, with six of us doing an hourly watch.

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_2nd August 1987_

At around eight in the morning, we went back to Uncle Demo's house, with guns loaded and ready to kill zombies. Upon arriving, Uncle Heavy went on a mowdown similar to that we witnessed a few days ago. Uncle Engineer and Uncle Soldier cleaned up the surviving stragglers, and those hidden in Uncle Demo's house. Dad shed a tear as he passed the remains of the zombies, knowing that one of them used to be his wife.

When Uncle Soldier and Uncle Engineer rejoined us, Uncle Heavy asked what we should do. Dad came over to me and started shaking me, repeating my name, as if waking me from a slumber. It must have been the grief.

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It was more or less at this point that I awoke. I was back in my bed, and dad looked like he had just been shaking me awake. I sat up, and realised that I was about six years old again. I asked him what had happened about the zombies, and why I was six years old. He said that I was six because that was how many years I was on this planet, and there had never any zombies. He paused, and then shook me affectionately. He spoke again.

"You've got a little brother, Aine. Your mother and I have decided to call him Bartley."

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I think I saw the future in my dream. I have no idea why, but it seems to fit everything so far. I'll see if things pan out as they did in my dream.

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**A/N** That's the end. Please rate and review.


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